 |
|
Dr. Louis Uccellini,
Director of NCEP, traced the history of NCEP from the days of the Joint
Numerical Weather Prediction Unit (JNWPU), formed in July 1954, through
NMC to NCEP. He described the changes at NCEP during the past few
years and discussed his vision for the seamless suite of products
to be generated by NCEP and the NWS. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Carl Staton, Director of
NCEP Central Operations, described the current status of computing at NCEP
and the plans to upgrade the IBM SP supercomputer this fall. He also
discussed the fire that forced the early removal of the Cray C-90 and the
tremendous emergency efforts put in by his staff and others in the NWS,
as well as the invaluable assistance rendered by other numerical processing
centers both nationally and internationally. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Lord, Director of the Environmental
Modeling Center, described the current suite of numerical models and EMC’s
plans for the future. EMC is developing models of sophistication
dreamed of in the days of the JNWPU.
|
|
Marine Prediction Center Deputy Director Mark Waters took a lighter tone as he described
the products and services of the MPC. Nevertheless, Mark addressed some of the very
significant and serious accomplishments of the MPC, including tailored support to
NTSB Chairman Jim Hall and his staff at the Recovery Task Force Command Center
for EgyptAir flight 990.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
David Rodenhuis, Director of the
Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, described the operations of the
AWC. He detailed some of the new products, such as the Collaborative
Convective Forecast Product that includes input from the SPC, FAA, and
the airlines.
|
|
Dave Reynolds, Director of Operations
for the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, discussed the changes that
have taken place in the HPC product suite during the past two years.
He focused on the impact of the new QPF process that has increased the
role of the HPC in providing support to the RFCs. Despite this photographic
evidence to the contrary, Dave was able to stay awake throughout his entire
talk.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Climate Prediction Center Director
Ants Leetmaa described the products and services of the CPC. The
very successful seasonal forecasts of the past few years by the CPC have
increased the visibility and utility of the long-range forecast program
of the NWS.
|
|
Joe Schaefer, Director of the Storm
Prediction Center, discussed the increase in verification scores for severe
weather products issued by the SPC. He showed examples of some of
the new products under development, including probabilistic severe weather
watches.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Chris Burr, Chief of the Tropical
Analysis and Forecast Branch, represented the Tropical Prediction Center.
He described the work of the TPC, with a focus on the forecasting of tropical
storms and hurricanes, and plans to improve these forecasts.
|
|
Ernie Hildner, Director of the
Space Environment Center, finds himself in the shadow of his presentation,
but in the limelight internationally during this period of solar maximum.
His presentation on "Space Weather" demonstrated the wide range of phenomena
now coming under the NCEP umbrella.
|